On March 19th, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliev met Ma Xingrui, Communist Party Secretary of China’s western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) to discuss strengthening Kazakh-Chinese trade cooperation and the opening of a Kazakh trade mission in XUAR’s main city of Urumqi.
In 2023, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reached $31.5 billion, with the XUAR accounting for over 64% or $20.3 billion of the total.
Referencing his country’s focus on trade cooperation with China, the Kazakh minister stated, “Targeted work is being carried out with each province and a joint action plan is being developed to increase trade and attract investment in projects in priority areas. Kazakh businesses are showing more and more interest in supplying products to the Chinese market. We very much appreciate the support of the XUAR leadership in resolving issues of access of Kazakh goods to China.”
The minister further reported, “To increase trade between our countries, especially with the XUAR, the Kazakh Head of State has instructed the opening of a trade mission in Urumqi. The QazTrade organization, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Trade and Integration, will be involved in the activities of this representative office. In the future, it will become a conduit between our manufacturers and Xinjiang companies interested in purchasing products.”
The parties also discussed prospective joint investment projects and in particular, interest from Kazakh businesses in Chinese investment in the construction of feedlots for cattle, the creation of meat processing facilities and processing of cereals.
